British Shorthair Cat: Grooming For Hair, Ears, Eyes, Teeth And Claws

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

How to care for the coat of a British Shorthair cat?

Amazing plush coat, always neat and elegant look creates the deceptive impression that the British Shorthair cat does not need any complicated grooming. In fact, this is not the case. The British Shorthair coat has a complex two-tier structure. It is this structure of the wool that creates a pearlescent sheen on the blue and purple colors, and gives shine to black and chocolate.

The British Shorthair is the only Shorthair breed that loves combing and stroking against the growth of the coat. Once or twice a week, use a metal brush and a massage brush to comb the coat first in the direction of the growth of the coat and then against it.

First, the hair is combed on the back, along the sides, on the chest. The cheeks and neck are massaged "towards the face", i.e. against the grain. Cats love this procedure, purr loudly, substitute their backs. After combing, the excess wool is removed with damp hands or with a special rubber mitten. After moulting spray or protein conditioner will improve the texture and shine of the coat. If an animal develops dandruff, scratching is a cause for alarm, and maybe even for contacting a veterinarian.

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Cleaning powder for grooming is applied to the coat, rubbed with hands, and then carefully combed out with a brush. This procedure will cleanse the wool from dust, grease, remove static electricity and add bulk. Baby powders, even the most expensive ones, are not suitable, as they are based on rice starch, which after licking gets into the stomach and can cause upset.

Pay attention to the back. As a rule, there is more guard hair along the ridge, especially closer to the tail. It needs to be trimmed. To do this, hold the hair with the fingers of the left hand, and remove it with the fingers of the right hand. All procedures must be performed calmly so that the cat does not perceive them as punishment. It is better to remove guard hair during estrus or shedding, but no later than 3-4 weeks before the show. On darker colors, individual white hairs must be removed.

After trimming, you need to help the hairline to recover. It is good to use the Conditioner Spray for shedding wool and Conditioner Spray with Protein. These sprays will help in preparing the cat for the show: for three weeks in a row, they treat the animal's fur daily. The conditioner is sprayed from a distance of 15-20 cm, lightly rubbed into the wool and allowed to dry.

What to buy for British hair care?

To care for wool, tools are needed:

- a medium-frequency comb, metal, preferably with a Teflon coating, with rounded teeth that do not scratch the skin;

- massage brush, preferably combined - on the one hand natural bristles, on the other - metal teeth with an antistatic coating.

What vitamins and foods are needed to maintain the color of British cats?

The British shorthair cat is a massive, heavy cat. To maintain massiveness, animals need a special diet with a high protein content (33-34%). The daily diet of the British Shorthair cat requires vitamins with a high content of biotin, calcium and trace elements. Very good results are given by vitamins of the firm "8 in 1" or "Jimpet". They contain all the necessary substances and are readily eaten by cats.

If you want to emphasize the red color in the color of the animal, give vitamins with seaweed. Tortoiseshell, red, chocolate colors will become brighter, and purple will acquire a warm pink tone, and, moreover, the eyes will be painted over more intensely. But it is better not to give supplements with seaweed to blue, cream, chinchillas and blue-cream cats: the color darkens. All cats need calcium, especially kittens and nursing mothers.

How to care for the eyes, ears, teeth and claws of a British cat?

A kitten must be taught to daily grooming from childhood. Examine your cat's ears once a week: the shells should be clean, free of rashes, plaque, redness, crusts and an unpleasant smell. Use a cotton swab or gauze pad to gently clean the ear canal. In a healthy animal, sulfur is light, odorless. Longer hairs - "tassels" often grow at the end of the ears. They need to be removed. To do this, we hold the tip of the ear with the fingers of one hand, and with the other at this time we cut the hairs or pluck them.

The British Shorthair cat's eyes should be clear and bright, with no signs of mucus accumulation, redness or cloudiness. In the morning, secretions accumulate in the corners of the eyes, which are removed daily with a napkin dipped in cool boiled water or a special lotion for eye care. Purulent discharge is unacceptable. If they appear in an animal, then a veterinarian should be consulted.

Briton's claws require constant attention. They should be strong, not exfoliate, and peeling at the base of the claw may be a sign of a fungal disease. Examination and clipping of the claws is performed every two weeks with a special nail clipper. The claws on the front feet grow faster than those on the hind feet. Before cutting, look at the claw at the light: there is a blood vessel in it, which must not be touched. By constantly trimming your claws, you will save yourself, your furniture, veterinarians and judges from too "sharp" sensations.

British cats need to brush their teeth once a week as the breed is prone to gingivitis and periodontitis. To brush your teeth, use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed specifically for cats.

How to properly wash British cats, and how often?

All British Shorthair cats are washed, regardless of whether they participate in exhibitions or not, at least once every three months. For everyday washing, use high-quality shampoos for cats based on seaweed, medicinal herbs, with lecithin, conditioner, antistatic effect. Then the cat will always be well-groomed, with a beautiful shiny coat, and you will always be ready for the show.

The washing process is the same for all British Shorthair cats. Water temperature 38-40 ° С. Holding the cat with one hand on the shoulders or under the chest, dampen the coat and apply shampoo to the withers, back, chest, belly and tail. Achieve a generous lather and rinse thoroughly. Pay attention to the tail: in adult cats, sometimes it has to be washed additionally. After the second soaping and rinsing, you can use a special fluffer. It is applied to the animal's fur and then washed off with water. After that, the cat should be wrapped in a towel and transferred to the table. Wipe it dry by changing the towel 2-3 times. Then apply a little dry shampoo or grooming powder to the wet coat and massage; when all the powder is removed, sprinkle the coat with Coat Gloss a little and dry it with a hairdryer. While drying, lift the coat with a metal massage brush. You need to dry it to the end, then the wool will be bulky for longer.

How to wash a show briton?

5-6 days before the show, the cat is washed: if you want to improve the color, you can use tinted shampoos for cats, but the first time it is better to wash the animal long before the show in order to learn how to use them.

White cats are washed with shampoo for white animals 2-3 times. After the secondary soaping, the shampoo is left for 2-3 minutes, and then washed off.

Chinchilla and silver marble cats are also washed with shampoo for white animals, but with repeated soaping, they are not kept on the coat, but immediately washed off.

Blue, cream, lilac, blue-cream and lilac-cream colors are sometimes darkish. Then you can use shampoo for white cats. This will give the coat a lighter color.

Red, red-marbled and tortoiseshell cats are washed with red or bronze shampoo.

Chocolate cats are washed with bronze shampoo, adding a few drops of shampoo for black animals.

Black cats are washed with black cat shampoo.

It is better to use shampoos from well-known brands. It's not worth experimenting before an exhibition. Find the right shampoo in advance. At the exhibition, it is necessary to slightly powder the back and cheeks of the animal, lift the hair with a brush with natural bristles, let it dry, and then slightly moisten it with an antistatic agent. After that, touch up the back coat with your hands.

Is it necessary to give British cats a paste to remove hair from the stomach?

A must, because despite the short coat, the British have a dense undercoat.

Authors: Elena Prokhorova, Guryeva S.